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donderdag 17 mei 2012

"Goodbye" is the upcoming twenty-second episode and season finale of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 66th overall. Directed by Brad Falchuk, it is set to air on Fox in the United States on May 22, 2012, and features the graduation of the McKinley High class of 2012.

Hugh Dancy has described his new television series Hannibal as "psychological" and "experimental".

The Martha Marcy May Marlene actor is set to play FBI agent Will Graham in the television adaptation of Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon about Hannibal Lecter, which will air on NBC.

"I'm going to start shooting that in Toronto in early August," Dancy told New York Magazine. "And I've got to say that all the names that they've thrown out there [to play Hannibal Lecter] have been quite imaginative, so I'm encouraged by that.

"I haven't seen the film versions [Manhunter and Red Dragon] with my character, and I probably won't. We're starting with the backstory before Red Dragon, so I won't need them.

"It'll be much more psychological - not serial-killer-of-the-week. It's going to be really experimental and out of left field. I'm excited about it."

Dancy previously appeared on Showtime's The Big C and can be seen in Hysteria, out in the US this Friday (May 18).

Adult Swim, basic cable's #1 network with young adults for seven consecutive years, sets out to "control" the night by announcing a slate of new and returning programming at its annual Upfront presentation in New York City. Hours before their annual event featuring a scheduled performance by Grammy Award-winning rap artist T.I., the network announced the largest programming commitment in Adult Swim's history, which includes new and returning series, pilots and specials.

After having its most-watched broadcast season-to-date in its history with adults 18-34, Adult Swim has ordered second seasons of new hit shows China, IL and Loiter Squad. The top-rated series Childrens Hospital returns with a spin-off in tow and an animated pilot based on the Harold & Kumar films is in development. Additionally, in response to overwhelming fan enthusiasm and devotion, the beloved anime programming block Toonami will make its return Saturday, May 26.

New original series and specials:

· NEWSREADERS - Newsreaders is a satire of the network television newsmagazine genre, from the creative team behind Adult Swim's highly successful comedy Childrens Hospital. Based upon the "Newsreaders" episodes of Childrens Hospital which aired during seasons two and three, Newsreaders will explore the vital issues that actually don't affect us every day, from hard-hitting investigations to harder-hitting heartwarming profiles. Created by Childrens Hospital executive producers Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the upcoming films Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and Butter), Jonathan Stern (The Ten; NTSF:SD:SUV::) and David Wain (Wanderlust, Wet Hot American Summer, Superjail!, upcoming films They Came Together and Dr. Dan), with Jim Margolis (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) serving as showrunner, Newsreaders will deliver unparalleled award-eligible reporting every week. The series is produced by Abominable Pictures and Warner Bros. Television Group's Studio 2.0.

· THE ERIC ANDRE SHOW - The series premieres on Sunday, May 20, at 12:30 a.m. (ET/PT) The Eric Andre Show may be the most manic and unorthodox late night talk show ever made. The show's traditional talk show format quickly devolves into chaos as its inept and bipolar host Eric Andre, along with his apathetic co-host Hannibal Buress (30 Rock, SNL), subvert all late night conventions. Taking place on a dingy public-access TV channel within an alternate reality, The Eric Andre Show creates its own distorted pop culture universe by conducting interviews with an unpredictable mix of actual celebrities, "fake" celebrities and extreme real-life weirdos. These interviews are broken up with deranged man-on-the-street segments, surreal flashes of inexplicable studio chaos, talk show desk-pieces and the general deconstruction of late night's most beloved tropes in every quarter-hour episode. The Eric Andre Show is produced by Abso Lutely and executive produced by Eric Andre, Andrew Barchilon, Kitao Sakurai, Daniel Weidenfeld (China, IL), and Dave Kneebone (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!).

· BLACK DYNAMITE - Premiering in July and based on 2009's critically-acclaimed feature film, Black Dynamite, the animated series, further chronicles the exploits of the central character, Black Dynamite, and his crew. Under the direction of head writer Carl Jones (The Boondocks), the series features the voice talent of Michael Jai White (For Better or Worse, The Dark Knight, Why Did I Get Married?), Tommy Davidson (In Living Color, Bamboozled), Kym Whitley (The Cleveland Show, Brian McKnight Show) and Byron Minns (Mongo Wrestling Alliance), all of whom starred in the feature film. Black Dynamite, the animated series, is being produced by Ars Nova. Jon Steingart, Carl Jones, and Jillian Apfelbaum are executive producers. Brian Ash is co-executive producer. Scott Sanders, Michael Jai White and Byron Minns are producers. Monica Jones is associate producer. Lesean Thomas is creative producer/supervising director. Original music by Adrian Younge. Black Dynamite is being animated by Titmouse, Inc.

· TOONAMI - Beginning Saturday, May 26, Adult Swim brings back Toonami, the network's popular block of anime programming. Airing weekly from midnight to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), in addition to the return of previous series featured in Toonami, Adult Swim is also developing new original anime programming for fans.

· HOT PACKAGE - Premiering this fall on Adult Swim, Hot Package is a live-action fictional Canadian entertainment news program in vein of "Entertainment Tonight," "EXTRA," or "E! News." Hot Package is created by and stars Derrick Beckles (TV Carnage), produced by Abominable Pictures, with Jon Stern and Derrick Beckles as executive producers.

· UNTITLED HELL PROJECT - This new live-action series from Adult Swim is a workplace comedy about Gary, an associate demon, as he competes on the corporate ladder of the underworld. A Williams Street production, the show is created and directed by Dave Willis (Squidbillies, Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and Casper Kelly (Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1, Squidbillies, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law).

· ROBOT CHICKEN DC COMICS SPECIAL - Coming this fall, the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special brings you the awesomeness of the DC Comics universe of characters as only Robot Chicken can, with amazing guest stars and the stop-motion sketch comedy you've come to love after five seasons of the popular Adult Swim series. The special features many Robot Chicken favorites including the Robot Chicken Nerd, the Humping Robot, Composite Santa, and the Mad Scientist who will be joined by characters of the DC Comics universe to poke fun at those with the most impressive powers and the lesser ones who can't really be called superheroes. The all-star cast includes Seth Green as Batman, Robin and the put-upon Aquaman, Paul Reubens as The Riddler, Neil Patrick Harris as Two-Face, Alfred Molina as Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion as the Green Lantern, Megan Fox as Lois Lane, Breckin Meyer as Superman, plus Abe Benrubi, Alex Borstein, Clare Grant, Tara Strong, Matt Senreich, Tom Root, Zeb Wells, and Kevin Shinick as the narrator. The Robot Chicken DC Comics Special is executive produced by Stoopid Monkey's Seth Green and Matthew Senreich and their Stoopid Buddy Stoodios partners, Buddy Systems' John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner along with DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, and Warner Bros. Animation's Executive Vice President and Creative Affairs, Sam Register.

· VENTURE BROTHERS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL - This October on Adult Swim, the Venture Family fills your Halloween goody bag with fun-sized Truth. Created and directed by Jackson Publick and written by Publick and Doc Hammer, both of whom also provide voices for the special, the Venture Brothers Halloween Special is being animated by Titmouse, Inc.

· BEFOREL OREL - A Moral Orel special that sheds light on the origin of Orel's religious nature and the birth of his brother, Shapey. Beforel Orel is created by Dino Stamatopoulos (Mary Shelley's Frankenhole and Mr. Show).

· Rick & Morty - A genius inventor grandfather and his less than genius grandson, and the journeys in life they share. From Dan Harmon (Community, Channel 101) and Justin Roiland. (30-minute animated)

· Colonel Wallace (Working Title) - An eccentric southern fried chicken magnate and his adventures with his family. Created by Greg Cohen (Conan O'Brien, King of the Hill, TV Funhouse). (15-minute animated)

· Coffin Dodgers - A group of misfit grumps get into fraternity-style trouble at a cozy suburban retirement home. From Dave Silverstein and Matt Jeser (Drawn Together). (30-minute animated)

· Green Bench: The American Day Dream - A group of friends have pooled their money to buy a large office space for their business. The only problem is they haven't quite figured out what that business is. In the meantime, it's an awesome headquarters where their petty, self-centered, and mischievous minds can wander. From the internet sketch comedy sensation Green Bench and produced by Dakota Pictures. (30-minute live-action)

· Freestyle Love Supreme - These I.T. guys work on their freestyle rapping at the office, much to the annoyance of their co-workers. Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights). From Ars Nova (Black Dynamite). (30-minute live-action)

· King Star King - King Star King is a modern day he-man who's half-warrior, half-idiot. From artist JJ Villard (Monsters Vs. Aliens) and Eric Kaplan (Big Bang Theory). (15-minute animated)

· Rolling With Dad - A brilliant, but disabled man deals with his much less intelligent family. From Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter; Tim Burton's Dark Shadows; The Hard Times of RJ Berger) and David Katzenberg (The Hard Times of RJ Berger). (30-minute animated)

Ridiculous and Absurd Infomercials (That Sell You Nothing):

· NTSF:SD:SUV::Home Security System - The state of the art home security system has arrived. Protect your home from every type of terrorist invasion. Through the installation of electrified moats, attack leopards, gun turrets, and even a mini detention center, NTSF:SD:SUV::HSS is the only type of security to make sure that your mailman is who he says he is and your next store neighbor is as friendly as they seem. Never have a surprise guest again. Be prepared for the worst with the best security money can buy. Produced by Abominable Pictures.

· You're Whole - Michael Ian Black introduces viewers to the best, most economical system for taking your life to the next level now available on 27 DVDs. Produced by Abominable Pictures.

· Swords, Knives, Very Sharp Objects and Cutlery (Working Title) - A typical knife/sword infomercial and call-in show goes horribly wrong for host Dragon Shumway when the studio is suddenly attacked by bad guys and our host finally gets to realize the full potential of his weaponry by unleashing each one on his enemies. Created by and starring Rob Huebel and produced by Abominable Pictures.

Returning series:

· AQUA SOMETHING YOU KNOW WHATEVER - What happens when three wisecracking roommates go from chasing tail to the diaper pail? You'll find out, when Frylock, Meatwad, and Master Shake try their hands - and hearts - at raising a baby. But smelly diapers aren't the only thing changing this season - Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 has been put to bed for a long nap and replaced by Aqua Something You Know Whatever, the show where Meatwad and the gang can get down to some serious parenting. This season, the Aqua Somethings find an ancient treasure map and follow it all the way to Argentina, where they're shocked to discover an orphaned baby on the 'x' that marks the spot. Outraged, Master Shake begins to throw the child off a steep embankment but one look into the baby's eyes, and the only thing getting thrown off a steep embankment is Shake's heart. Introducing Pepe the Pepper, the newest member of the Aqua Something You Know Whatever family - and boy is he a handful! Find out what happens when three not-so-eligible bachelors catch a case of baby fever, and the only cure is snuggle time. The only nipples these guys will be touching are gonna have a bottle on the other end. Aqua Something You Know Whatever premieres in June on Adult Swim. Aqua Something You Know Whatever is created by Dave Willis (Squidbillies) and Matt Maiellaro (12 oz. Mouse).

· THE BOONDOCKS - Since the debut of the first season in 2005, The Boondocks has been one of Adult Swim's most popular and critically acclaimed series. The Peabody Award-winning animated series is based on Aaron McGruder's comic strip by the same name. Produced by Rebel Base in association with Sony Pictures Television, The Boondocks returns with a new season on Adult Swim.

· CHILDRENS HOSPITAL - This August, Childrens Hospital returns for its fourth season and continues to live up to its reputation as the greatest hospital drama in the history of recorded media. Applauded for its tight stories and medical accuracy, this season reaches new heights: an airborne virus threatens to destroy the hospital and perhaps society, a search for the mysterious PA announcer Sal Viscuso reveals an undercurrent of evil powering the hospital, the origins of Chief's handicaps are revealed, a beloved regular character dies a couple of times, and Sy gets a dog! Also, from across the pond, we bring you the British version of Childrens Hospital (subtitled). Finally, 30% more story and character development! For free! The show's creative team is led by Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and fellow executive producers/writers Jonathan Stern (The Ten; NTSF:SD:SUV::) and David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Wanderlust, Superjail!). Childrens Hospital is produced by Abominable Pictures and Warner Bros. Television Group's Studio 2.0, and distributed by Warner Bros. Television.

· CHINA, IL - Renewed for a second season, China, IL is about the worst school in America, where the teachers are crazy and the students just want to learn. In this second season of new half-hour episodes, we'll continue to follow the Professor Brothers, Frank & Steve Smith, as well as their TA Pony Merks & their man-child friend Babycakes, along with a host of other teachers, students and townies. Some examples of stories we'll see this season are Baby Cakes's Joe McCarthy-esque witch hunt for actual wizards and witches, Frank & Ronald Reagan's quest for Thomas Jefferson's legendary Crystal Castle, and a god who descends down on China, IL, turning it into a surfer town. China, IL was created by Brad Neely and is executive produced by Neely and Daniel Weidenfeld.

· THE HEART, SHE HOLLER - Renewed for a second season, The Heart, She Holler is a live-action soap opera about folk who ain't never used soap or seen an opera. It's a satire on the emotional Hee-Hawification of America, set in a town so inbred, the folks have become almost supernaturally wrong. The series is produced by PFFR, and stars Patton Oswalt, Kristen Schaal and Heather Lawless.

· LOITER SQUAD - Renewed for a second season after a top-rated premiere this March, Loiter Squad will continue to wreck havoc on Adult Swim. Loiter Squad is a 15 minute live-action show that features sketches, man on the street segments, pranks and music from Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. The cast, featuring the Los Angeles collective of rappers, artists, and skateboarders, channel their multi-faceted creative talents in this off-the-wall showcase. Loiter Squad is produced by Dickhouse Entertainment - the Hollywood production partnership of Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze who have been the creative power behind hits including Jackass, Nitro Circus, Rob & Big, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, Wild Wonderful Whites of West Virginia, The Birth of Big Air and Wildboyz. Jeff Tremaine, Shanna Zablow, Dimitry Elyashkevich, and Lance Bangs from Dickhouse Entertainment are executive producers.

· NTSF:SD:SUV:: - This August on Adult Swim, terrorism is back and better than ever. Join Special Agent Trent Hauser and his elite counter-terrorist unit, NTSF:SD:SUV:: (National Terrorist Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle) for a second season of passionate yelling, pregnant pauses, and even more civilian casualties than last season! There will be Time Traveling, Robot Murders, Food Stealing Swedes, Talking Dogs, a Killer Santa Claus and a wedding. Terrorists - you've been warned - again! NTSF:SD:SUV:: is created by Paul Scheer and stars Scheer, Rebecca Romijn, Rob Riggle, Kate Mulgrew, Brandon Johnson, June Diane Raphael, Martin Starr and Peter Sarafinowicz as the first sentient robot on television. NTSF:SD:SUV:: is produced by Abominable Pictures, Inc. Paul Scheer (The League, Human Giant), Jonathan Stern (The Ten; Childrens Hospital) and Curtis Gwinn (Fat Guy Stuck in Internet) are executive producers.

· SQUIDBILLIES - Premiering its sixth season this July, Adult Swim welcomes you back to the North Georgia Mountains, birthplace of hell raising and inhalant huffing. At the epicenter of this rural paradise is Dougal County, home to crippling gambling addictions, murderous corporations, sexual deviants, and the authentic southern mountain squid. Early Cuyler continues his reign as America's favorite cephalopod in season six of Squidbillies, filled with love, murder, sobriety, and the secrets of the Catfish Kingdom. This time around Rusty tackles fatherhood, Early defends his reputation as the town's biggest badass, Granny helps the Sheriff solve a series of butt thefts, Lil embraces the boring life of sobriety, and the Sheriff finds love east of the Iron Curtain. Come watch the Cuylers chase the southern dream of a rewarding job in the food service industry, all while using violence and alcohol to tackle life's toughest problems. It's good clean family fun, if your family is in the 18-35 demographic! Squidbillies is written and produced by Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) and Jim Fortier (Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Brak Show).

· SUPERJAIL! - This fall on Adult Swim, Superjail! slams back in general population for a third season of destruction. Triple the insanity. Triple the crazy. Triple the pain of being kicked in the guts really hard. Superjail! is produced at Titmouse Studios in N.Y. Series creators and executive producers Christy Karacas (Cartoon Sushi, Robotomy) and Stephen Warbrick (Beavis and Butthead, Celebrity Deathmatch) have teamed up again to take this over-the-top animated series to the next level.

Fox held its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on Monday, introducing the new offerings in its upcoming schedule. (The network also took the opportunity to officially announce the addition of Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges for the upcoming season of "The X Factor.")

The network also released trailers for its upcoming new series, including the Kevin Bacon-starring thriller "The Following" and the comedy "The Goodwin Games."

Just in case you weren't able to make it to Fox's upfront, TheWrap has compiled the trailers into one handy post. Check them all out below.

"The Mob Doctor" stars Jordana Spiro and William Forsythe in a drama about a young female thoracic surgeon who's split between her two worlds as she juggles her career and her lifelong debt to the South Chicago mob:

In "Ben and Kate," Nat Faxon plays Ben Fox, a free-spirited young man who moves in with his Type A sister under the guise of becoming his niece's nanny, and helps his tightly wound sibling re-enter the world:

"The Mindy Kaling Project" finds "The Office" star Mindy Kaling playing a young Bridget Jones-type doctor who's trying to navigate both her personal and professional lives:

In "The Following," Kevin Bacon plays Ryan Hardy, a former FBI agent who leads the search to catch a diabolical serial killer who has created a cult of serial killers:

"The Goodwin Games" stars Becki Newton and Scott Foley, and revolves around a father who leaves his fortune to his three children, but only if they agree to his terms:

Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album marks the cast's 12th LP and final compilation of the current run.

The collection includes covers of Queen's 'We Are The Champions', Lady GaGa's 'Edge of Glory' and Jason Mraz's 'I Won't Give Up'.

Fans will also get a sneak peek of eight new songs recorded for the season finale, including Bruce Springsteen's 'Glory Days', Beyoncé's 'I Was Here', Madonna's 'I'll Remember', and Green Day's 'Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)'.

The season three finale airs in the US after American Idol on Tuesday, May 22 at 9PM ET/PT on Fox.

The Glee cast have sold more than 43 million songs and over 12 million albums worldwide to date, scoring three consecutive number one albums in the States.

The full tracklisting for Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album is as follows:

1. We Are Young2. Edge Of Glory3. I Won't Give Up4. We Are The Champions5. School's Out6. I Was Here7. I'll Remember8. You Get What You Give9. Not The End10. Roots Before Branches11. Glory Days12. Forever Young13. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

Opponents of the merger between the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Actors have thrown in the towel and decided not to pursue further legal action against the merger.

David Casselman, an attorney for the opponents, stated the group's intention to drop the case in a letter to the union's attorneys Thursday.

The main reasoning for not pursuing legal action? In light of the overwhelming vote to approve the merger, it doesn't make much sense to buck popular opinion.

"After careful consideration, largely reflecting on the results of the recent merger election, my clients have reached the conclusion that continued prosecution of the pending litigation would not assist the cause that they sought to champion," the letter reads.

While the letter adds that the clients "continue to believe in the truth of a of the allegations presented," it also points out that "only time will tell" whether the merger of SAG and AFTRA was worth it.

The merger easily passed in a late March vote, with 86 percent of AFTRA ballots approving the merger and 82 percent of the SAG ballots doing so.

A group of 68 SAG members, including Martin Sheen, Ed Asner and Ed Harris, filed suit to block a vote on the merger in February, claiming that SAG had failed to properly conduct a study on the effects of the proposed merger on SAG's pension and health benefits.

Federal judge James Otero shot down the group's lawsuit in just days before the late March vote.

"[A]t this point, continued prosecution of the litigation would merely detract from the important mission of the new union as it seeks to represent a large and diverse group of individuals," the letter adds.

Syfy Summer 2012 Features Record Number of Primetime Original Programming Hours

Featuring a record number of primetime original programming hours, Syfy's hot Summer 2012 will be highlighted by the premiere of the new unscripted series School Sprits (from executive producer Mark Burnett), Insane or Inspired? and Paranormal Highway (working title) starring Jack Osbourne; new seasons of hits Warehouse 13, Face Off, Alphas, Destination Truth and Haunted Collector, along with the eagerly anticipated Saturday Original Movies Jersey Shore Shark Attack and Bigfoot, plus the series finale of the beloved Eureka.

Syfy will also present a Memorial Day weekend movie festival highlighted by the premiere of Super Shark on May 26th, followed by the semi-annual Twilight Zone marathon on July 4th.

This new series features the most exciting videos from the Internet that celebrate the world of imagination, invention, and extreme experiences. Actors Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Samm Levine (Freaks & Geeks), Brooke Hogan, Ralph Garman, as well as television personality Josh Gates, host of Syfy's Destination Truth, join comedians Ben Gleib, Owen Benjamin, Jodi Miller, Elliot Chang, Jermaine Fowler, Adam Ray, Christiana Pazistky, KT Tatara and Janet Varney to provide their unique commentary on each of the clips. The result is a fast-paced hour-long countdown of hilarious viral videos. Insane or Inspired? is produced by Comcast Studios with Jay James, Betsy Rott, and Sean Olsen serving as executive producers.

JUNE

HAUNTED COLLECTOR (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)

Premieres Wednesday, June 6 at 9PM

Haunted Collector features eminent paranormal collector John Zaffis, who searches for objects that have become home to paranormal spirits and/or energy. Each week Zaffis and his family help someone who's terrorized by something strange in their own home, using the latest technology to identify the source of the paranormal activity. On the season 2 premiere of Haunted Collector, the team heads to Warsaw, Kentucky, where a woman's home is suffering hauntings, possibly from two steamboats which crashed in a fiery collision, killing more than 60 people in 1868. Next, they travel to Huron, Ohio, in a race against the clock to remove the dangerous energy from an abandoned silo, scheduled to be destroyed in 48 hours. Haunted Collector is produced by Gurney Productions. Executive producers are Scott Gurney and Deirdre Gurney.

SCHOOL SPIRITS (NEW ORIGINAL SERIES)

Premieres Wednesday, June 20 at 10PM

From executive producer Mark Burnett, School Spirits travels to schools and universities all across the country to recount the true ghost stories experienced on these academic campuses. The stories will be told in first person narratives through the testimonials of real students, teachers, parents and staff that have encountered the paranormal activity, blended with bone-chilling cinematic reenactments to further bring the haunting experiences to life. Executive producers: Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Voice) and Seth Jarrett & Julie Insogna Jarrett (Celebrity Ghost Stories).

SATURDAY ORIGINAL MOVIES (ALL-NEW MOVIES)

· Jersey Shore Shark Attack - Saturday, June 9 at 9PM - Led by an all-star cast of Tony Sirico (The Sopranos), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Jack Scalia (Dallas), Joey Fatone ('N Sync), William Atherton (Die Hard) and Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore) the movie unfolds during the July Fourth weekend at the Jersey Shore, where angry sharks are on a rampage, devouring residents, leaving it to the local Guidos to save the day. The movie also stars Jeremy Luke as The Complication, Melissa Molinaro as Nooki, Joey Russo as Donnie, Daniel Booko as Balzac, Audi Resendez as B.J., and Alex Mauriello as J-Moni. Jersey Shore Shark Attack is a production of Hybrid Entertainment. The director is John Shepphird. Jeffrey Schenck, Barry Barnholtz and Peter Sullivan are the producers.

· Piranhaconda - Saturday, June 16 at 9PM - Part fish! Part snake! All killer! In B-movie icon Roger Corman's latest, a hybrid creature - half piranha and half anaconda -- attacks a movie crew on location near her nest when her egg is stolen. Now they must outrun and kill the deadly piranhaconda as well as stop the mad scientist who stole the egg - before they all become dinner. Stars Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill: I & II) and Rachel Hunter (The Benchwarmers). Piranhaconda is a production of New Horizons, directed by Jim Wynorski.

· Bigfoot - Saturday, June 30 at 9PM - Television legends Danny Bonaduce (The Partridge Family) and Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) star as life-long rivals battling over Bigfoot. Howard Hesseman (Head of the Class), Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks), Andre Royo (The Wire) and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper (School's Out) co-star in the movie, which is directed by Oscar and Emmy nominee Bruce Davison (X-Men). Bigfoot is a production of The Asylum.

JULY

DESTINATION TRUTH (SEASON 5 PREMIERE)

Premieres Tuesday, July 10 at 8PM

Season 5 opens with two special back-to-back episodes, as Josh Gates and his team lead viewers on a chase into one of the world's biggest caves in the jungles of Vietnam to search for Bigfoot. Then, at the overwhelming request of fans, they'll travel to Romania for a return visit to the haunted Hoia Bachu Forest, the site of their most terrifying investigation to date, and then explore the reportedly haunted Mayan ruins of Tikal in pursuit of a monster known as the Belize Goblin. They'll also lead viewers into a remote Transylvanian village on a hunt for vampires and journey to Kazakhstan (a Destination Truth first) to search for the legendary Kazakh monster. Destination Truth is executive produced by Brad Kuhlman for Ping Pong Productions (1000 Places to See Before You Die, Celebrity Rehab, FM Nation). Josh Gates and Erin Ryder serve as co-executive producers.

PARANORMAL HIGHWAY (NEW ORIGINAL SERIES)

Premieres Tuesday, July 10 at 10PM

Paranormal Highway puts the pedal to the metal as Jack Osbourne and his friend Dana Workman do their own first-person investigations of the most frightening claims of paranormal activity along America's remote back roads. Fueled by eyewitness interviews and evidence collected by Jack's state-of-the-art equipment, he and Dana will travel alone, self-documenting their harrowing face-to-face encounters with the paranormal. Production company: BASE Productions. Executive producers: John Brenkus, Mickey Stern, Ron Ziskin.

EUREKA (SERIES FINALE)

Airs Monday, July 16 at 9PM

After five seasons, Syfy's long-running original series comes to an end and the remarkable residents of Eureka say their goodbyes. During the thrilling final season, the town is reeling after the Astraeus and her crew mysteriously vanished just before their planned launch to Titan. As the town copes with the shocking personal changes caused by the Astraeus ordeal, they continue to uncover the truth about the forces behind the crew's bizarre disappearance -- with shocking results. Eureka stars Colin Ferguson (Sheriff Jack Carter) Salli Richardson-Whitfield (Allison Blake), Joe Morton (Henry Deacon), Erica Cerra (Jo Lupo), Neil Grayston (Douglas Fargo) and Niall Matter (Zane Donovan). Co-creator Jaime Paglia and Bruce Miller are executive producers. The series is produced and distributed by Universal Cable Productions.

WAREHOUSE 13 (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)

Premieres Monday, July 23 at 9PM

Season 4 kicks off with the Warehouse Team still reeling from the shocking events of the climactic season three finale - the loss of Agent Steve Jinks (Aaron Ashmore), Mrs. Frederic (CCH Pounder), H.G. Wells (Jaime Murray) and the destruction of the Warehouse itself. Their only hope lies in racing to the other side of the Earth to hunt down an obscure artifact, which may or may not even exist - and if it does exist, what consequences will they face for using it? The most successful series in Syfy history, Warehouse 13 follows a team of government agents who work at a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and preternatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse's caretaker Artie Nielsen (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock), Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) and Claudia Donovan (Allison Scagliotti) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself. Sam Huntington (Being Human) will be among the star-studded array of season 4 guest stars. Warehouse 13 is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions. Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel) is executive producer and showrunner.

ALPHAS (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)

Premieres Monday, July 23 at 10PM

In Syfy's action-packed hit drama series, an unlikely team of ordinary people with superhuman physical and mental abilities - known as Alphas - takes on mysterious cases the CIA, FBI and Pentagon are unable to solve and go head-to-head with criminal Alphas.

Season 2 picks up eight months after last year's finale with the stage set for an explosive turn of events at the Binghamton facility (the Guantanamo of the Alpha world) that could have devastating, far-reaching consequences. Dr. Lee Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn), having exposed the existence of Alphas to the unsuspecting public, finds himself discredited and imprisoned by a government desperate to cover up his revelation. The rest of the core team has disbanded and some, without Rosen's guidance and care, have regressed to their old, destructive ways. They must now battle their individual demons in order to reunite and try to save their own.

Alphas also stars Malik Yoba, Warren Christie, Azita Ghanizada, Ryan Cartwright and Laura Mennell. Erin Way (Detroit 187, Private Practice) joins the cast this season as "Kat" a mysterious young loner whose Alpha ability allows her to pick up any skill at a glance. But while her skills are permanent, her personal memories are short-lived. The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions and BermanBraun Television with executive producers Bruce Miller, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun, Gene Stein and Zak Penn. Penn and co-executive producer Michael Karnow are series creators.

AUGUST

PARANORMAL WITNESS (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)

Premieres Wednesday, August 8 at 10PM

Using a mixture of intimate first-hand testimony, actual home video and gritty realistic drama, the hit series Paranormal Witness returns to transport viewers into a world turned upside-down by extraordinary, terrifying and sometimes life-threatening paranormal events. Paranormal Witness is produced by Raw TV (Locked Up Abroad and Gold Rush Alaska). Executive producers are Dimitri Doganis and Bart Layton.

FACE OFF (SEASON 3 PREMIERE)

Premieres Tuesday, August 21 at 9PM

Syfy's hit competition reality series returns for season 3 with 12 aspiring special effects make-up artists and their unlimited imaginations, competing to create amazing works of living art. The eleven-episode season will feature some of the most difficult challenges ever attempted and high power special guest judges. It all culminates in one winner and one $100,000 grand prize that will launch a career. McKenzie Westmore returns as host. The second season finale became the most watched unscripted telecast in the channel's nearly 20-year history, transforming 3.58 million total viewers, based on Live+7 data. This also established a Syfy original series record - for scripted and unscripted programs - for most Adults 18-34 viewers with 1.01 million. Face Off is a production of Mission Control Media with Dwight D. Smith, Michael Agbabian and Derek Atherton serving as executive producers.

For its upfront presentation to advertisers, CBS went big, broad and a little goofy – words that also describe many of its shows.

The network’s upfront at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on Wednesday had the feel of a big, grinning victory lap – and not just because it included Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning parading his trophy.

The least popular thing on TV is Dish's new ad-skipping feature Auto Hop -- at least among network executives. But that doesn't mean viewers won't embrace it.

The question is whether they'll still like it if it leads to higher Dish bills. Or -- if things go completely wild -- less access to their favorite shows.

Neither are likely to happen soon, especially since the new feature (see photo of ad, left) is a mere week old and unknown to most viewers. It's still unclear what effect, if any, it will have on network viewing.

But networks consider it enough of a threat to their traditional model to bash it this week, in comments that may have actually raised its profile among the audiences they hope will not embrace it.

"They can’t just take our signal and change it and put on a black spot where our commercials were," CBS CEO Leslie Moonves told reporters Wednesday.

Dish got a blast of free publicity -- albeit negative publicity -- by announcing the feature last week, just before the networks began introducing their 2012-13 slates at this week's upfront presentations to advertisers.

At the very first upfront, NBC broadcasting chairman Ted Harbert kicked off days of Hop-bashing by telling advertisers it was "an insult to our joint programming."

The feature allows viewers to skip commercials when they watch ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC shows the day after they air or later. In doing so, it helps viewers stray even further from their traditional covenant with advertisers: They get free broadcast TV and have to watch commercials in exchange.

That agreement has been under threat for decades, first with VCRs and now with DVR. But Auto Hop is especially threatening because it allows viewers to automatically skip all ads, without actively fast-forwarding or skipping ahead. When they watch a show the day after it airs or later, they only need to enable Auto Hop one time to pretend, for a short while, that they live in an ad-free world.

Dish notes that the network has offered a 30-second skip feature for years, and says the Auto Hop feature comes in response to consumer demand for an ad-skipping feature. (Those who still want to watch ads don't have to use Auto Hop.)

"Viewers have been skipping commercials since the advent of the remote control," Dish CEO Joe Clayton said in a statement. "We are simply making it easier."

The question now is what networks can do about it. Neither networks nor Dish would comment.

"All I want to say at this point is that we are evaluating the technology, but it's tremendously disappointing that Dish has chosen to market a product with the goal of destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem," Fox spokesman Scott Grogin told TheWrap.

But networks could try to make up for lost ad revenue by demanding that Dish TV, the second-largest satellite TV provider with about 14 million customers, pay higher fees to air their programming.

Those costs could then be passed on to -- you guessed it -- Dish customers. (If that happens, some of them might suddenly have a new appreciation for the old "watch the commercials" model.)

It's much too soon to say that will happen, however. Dish contends that it already pays high rates for retransmitting networks and has agreed in recent years to significant increases.

Dish also says Auto Hop may actually help networks.

Auto Hop is part of Dish's Hopper Whole-Home DVR set-top box, which allows people to access DVR-ed shows from any TV in their home. Clayton said the Hopper’s PrimeTime Anytime feature allows viewers, with one click, to record all primetime shows from the four networks in HD. He said it appears that the feature is leading to more viewing of primetime shows.

If that leads more people to tune in in real time, that's good for networks. But it's not much help if they only watch the shows on Dish, ad-free, the day after they air.

Peter Rice, chairman of the Fox Networks Group, called it "a strange thing to do," and said Fox was "still evaluating it." ABC entertainment president Paul Lee said the network is "not supportive of anything that doesn't support our advertisers."

Despite networks' discomfort about Auto Hop, all their public mentions of it could help promote it.

Networks have talked tough about the feature in part to align themselves with the advertisers to whom they are trying to sell ads these week.

But viewers also pay attention to the upfronts -- or at least press coverage of new shows and trends. The executives' remarks have helped publicize Auto Hop to a wider audience, and that could lead to more people signing up for Dish to take advantage of it.

Could the dispute reach the point that Dish and the big broadcasters will stop doing business together? That's highly unlikely, given the networks' dominance of the TV landscape. But Dish has threatened to stop offering smaller channels.

The spat with the four networks comes as Dish is also feuding with AMC Networks, which it says it will drop when their contract ends next month. Voom HD, an indirect subsidiary of AMC Networks, is suing Dish for $2.5 billion for breach of contract, though Dish says it is dropping AMC because of high rates and low ratings, not because of the lawsuit.

The two companies, who sued each other last April over content use for Time Warner's tablet-device app, have reached an agreement to resolve their legal differences.

As part of the agreement, Time Warner Cable customers will receive Viacom programming -- including "Jersey Shore," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and others -- through Time Warner's in-home streaming app for tablet devices. Customers will also receive additional Viacom channels, including MTV Hits and MTV Jams. Subscribers in major markets will also be given access to TV Land HD and BET HD.

"Viacom and Time Warner Cable have agreed to resolve their pending litigations. All of Viacom’s programming will now be available to Time Warner Cable subscribers for in-home viewing via internet protocol-enabled devices such as iPads and Time Warner Cable will continue to carry Viacom’s Country Music Television (CMT) programming," a joint statement from the companies issued on Wednesday said. "In reaching the settlement agreement, Time Warner Cable and Viacom were also able to resolve other unrelated business matters to their mutual satisfaction."

Viacom programming will become available to customers via Time Warner's tablet app "over the next several weeks."

Both companies added that nether side "is conceding its original legal position."

Last year, Time Warner agreed to drop Viacom programming from its app, but Viacom sued anyway, arguing that a court order was the only way to prevent the company from re-adding the content to its app. Claiming that Time Warner shouldn't be allowed to "unilaterally change the terms of its contractual relationship," Viacom was asking for $2 million for each alleged violation against its contact with Time Warner.

Time Warner Cable, meanwhile, maintained that that content accessed on its iPad app shouldn't be regarded any differently than what it offers via more traditional methods, and thus they haven't violated their contract with providers.

Ashleigh & Pudsey are reportedly being tapped to appear in the upcoming series of Big Brother.

Channel 5 bosses are said to be hoping for the Britain's Got Talent winners to feature as part of a dog-training task with the housemates, reports the Daily Star.

"Pudsey is Britain's most famous dog right now and we would love to have him in the house," a show insider said.

"We think a great task would see Ashleigh and Pudsey put the wannabes through their paces. They will have offers flooding in but as we are on over the summer there is plenty of time for them to get involved."

A regular edition of the long-running reality series is set to begin on the channel next month.

Host Brian Dowling currently features in a new Olympic-themed promo video for the series.

Simon Cowell is rumoured to be wanting to fly Ashleigh Butler and her dog Pudsey to Los Angeles to embark on a Hollywood career.

CBS held its upfront presentation to advertisers at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Wednesdays, introducing upcoming schedule and the new series that will help populate it.

Below are advance looks at the network's upcoming offerings -- "Partners" and "Elementary"

In "Partners," Michael Urie and David Krumholtz play friends and business partners --- one gay, one straight -- whose relationship becomes comically complicated when Krumholtz's character proposes to his girlfriend.

"Elementary," a modern-day take on the Sherlock Holmes legend set in contemporary New York, stars Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson.

Lindsay Lohan's guest appearance on Fox's "Glee" on Tuesday night failed to give the series a boost, while ABC's "Cougar Town" took a big hit and CBS won the night overall with the top-rated "NCIS" finale.

CBS took first place in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic with a 3.5 rating/11 share and in total viewership with 16.3 million. The "NCIS" season finale at 8 p.m. was up 13 percent from last week, posting a 3.1/10 -- the night's best performance in the demo. It also grabbed 18.7 million total viewers, making it the night's most-watched program. The two-hour "NCIS: LA" season finale at 9 performed evenly with last week in the demo with a 3.0/8, and took 15.1 million total viewers.

NBC was second in the demo and total viewers with an average 2.8/8 and 8.6 million. "America's Got Talent" at 8 was down 8 percent in the demo from Monday's season premiere, posting a 3.7/10, and took 10.4 million total viewers. "Fashion Star" at 10 rebounded from last week's low, when it aired at 8 p.m., jumping 23 percent in the demo for a 1.3/4. It drew 4.9 million total viewers.

Fox took third in the demo and fourth in total viewers with back-to-back episodes of "Glee." The first airing at 8 p.m. was down 11 percent from last week, receiving a 2.4/8, and had 6 million total viewers. The second episode at 9, which featured Lohan guest-starring as herself, was down 7 percent from last week, posting a 2.5/7. It attracted 6 million total viewers. Overall the network averaged a 2.5/7 in the demo and 6 million total viewers.

ABC came in fourth in ratings and third in total viewers, taking a big hit with "Cougar Town," which is moving to TBS next season. Back-to-back episodes of "Cougar Town" at 8 and 8:30 were both down 33 percent from last week, posting 1.0/3, a series low. The 8 p.m. episode drew 3.4 million total viewers, while the second drew 3.3 million. "Dancing With the Stars" at 9 dipped slightly to a 2.4/6, and received 12.9 million total viewers. The "Private Practice" season finale at 10 had mixed results, jumping 29 percent in the demo from last week but dropping 28 percent from last season's finale, receiving a 1.8/5 and grabbing 7 million total viewers.

Turner Broadcasting announced a strategic partnership with Funny or Die in which the broadcasters' digital sales force will become the exclusive seller of advertising opportunities with the humor site.

TBS, TV's highest-rated comedy network on television, and Adult Swim will collaborate with Funny Or Die to boost the digital content provider's sales and help establish the three brands as multi-platform destinations for comedy.

Turner Broadcasting is taking a minority equity stake in Funny or Die, which was launched in 2007 by Will Ferrell, writer/director Adam McKay and writer Chris Henchy. Turner said its relationships with the top people and brands in entertainment would help Funny Or Die continue to grow.

TNT and TBS announced development slates Wednesday that include a TNT reality show from Matthew McConaughey about the search for America's best bar band and a possible new TBS talk show hosted by "Saturday Night Live" veteran Norm MacDonald.

TNT is developing dramas with Michael Bay, Howard Gordon, Dick Wolf and Steven Bochco, among others, while Conan O'Brien, host of TBS' "Conan," is developing two comedies through his Conaco. One features three roommates who discover that an evil but very hip alien has moved into their building.

TBS has ordered a pilot presentation of "Norm MacDonald is Trending," from some of the executive producers of "Sports Show with Norm MacDonald" and "Real Time with Bill Maher." MacDonald has starred in a series of past shows besides the recenty canceled "Sports Show," including ABC's "The Norm Show" and Fox's "A Minute With Stan Hooper."

Here are the Turner networks' upcoming series, and descriptions of the shows in development, as described by TNT and TBS.

The networks unveiled thier planned series Wednesday. More to come, but here's their list:

Simon Cowell has accused The Voice UK of being the "same show" as The X Factor.

The Syco boss and ITV talent show judge mocked the concept of the Blind Auditions, where the coaches do not see the acts, by suggesting that the programme should air on radio.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Cowell exclaimed: "That show puzzles me because it starts off by saying, 'It's all about the voice'. So my first thought is, 'Why isn't this on radio?' Because what's the point of looking at them?

"Once they've gone through the [Blind Auditions], then suddenly I'm watching it two weeks ago and it's the same as X Factor. They've got dancers behind them, graphics, lights. Same show."

Referring to his other show Britain's Got Talent's much-publicised ratings battle with the BBC singing contest, Cowell added: "They like to have a pop at us as well.

"When The Voice came along, it was kind of like - roll your sleeves up, we're in for a bit of a punch up here. I'm smiling now because we're winning.

"I wasn't so happy three weeks ago but not to the point of any silliness. They were beating us and we needed to make our shows better, and that's all we did."

The BBC has announced that it is axing Blue Peter and other children's programming from BBC One and BBC Two.

All children's programming will air on CBBC and CBeebies following the digital switchover as part of director general Mark Thompson's 'Delivering Quality First' proposal, which aims to cut millions from the budget by 2017 and reassess the BBC's output.

However, Julian Payne, head of press & media relations at the corporation, insisted on Twitter that the move does not mean the BBC is cancelling Blue Peter outright.

"For absolute clarity the BBC is not ditching Blue Peter," he wrote. "Blue Peter already premieres on CBBC and is repeated on BBC One. More 6-12s watch it on digital channel as it is."

In a report on the 'Delivering Quality First' proposals, the BBC Trust said: "Children's output remains a cornerstone of the BBC's public service offering and one of the BBC's foremost editorial priorities.

"In line with this, we support the Executive's plans to maintain the underlying levels of investment in original content production for CBeebies and CBBC. By safeguarding the additional investment into such content over recent years, this means that the proportion of the licence fee spent on children's output (excluding productivity savings) will be higher than currently."

The Trust also noted that the number of children watching the dedicated blocks of programming on BBC One and BBC Two is low and has fallen significantly over recent years.

In addition, only around 7% of CBBC's target audience currently watch CBBC content on BBC One and BBC Two exclusively, while CBeebies content on BBC Two has a unique reach of just 2.3% of its target audience.

The Trust concluded that the move of Blue Peter and other programmes would have a "very low" impact on children, but accepted that "the rescheduling may risk some short-term confusion among viewers about where to find children's output".

They added: "We have therefore asked the executive to ensure there is sufficient cross-promotion and marketing of the changes prior to their rescheduling, to help mitigate any possible audience impact."

Blue Peter has been broadcast since 1958, making it the longest-running children's TV programme in the world.

Over the decades, there have been a total of 33 Blue Peter presenters. Among the most notable are Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves, Anthea Turner, Richard Bacon, Matt Baker and Gethin Jones. Tony Hart was a regular face in the 1950s and also created the original design for the Blue Peter badge.

John Noakes and Konnie Huq are the longest-serving male and female presenters of the show. Noakes fronted Blue Peter for over 12 years between 1965 and 1978, while Huq hosted from December 1997 to January 2008.

ABC held its upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday, where it introduced its latest offerings to advertisers -- and took a few jabs from its own star, Jimmy Kimmel.

Just in case you weren't able to make it to the presentation, we've compiled the trailers for ABC's new shows. Check them out below, and share your predictions in the comments section: Which shows will be a hit, and which won't make it to a second season?

In the new comedy "How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life," "Scrubs" alum Sarah Chalke plays Polly, a recently divorced single mom who moves in with her eccentric parents, Max and Elaine (Brad Garrett and Elizabeth Perkins), who are full of life but know no boundaries:

In "The Neighbors," a family moves into a beautiful but surprisingly affordable gated community in New Jersey, only to find that all their new neighbors are aliens:

"American Horror Story" alum Connie Britton stars in "Nashville," a family soap set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene that follows one star at her peak and one on her rise:

"Last Resort," from "The Shield"'s Shawn Ryan, follows a renegade crew of a nuclear submarine who form their own sovereign, nuclear-equipped nation after defying a suspicious order:

"Malibu Country" stars Reba McEntire as a mother who moves her kids from Nashville to Malibu after her husband abandons the family, and attempts to resuscitate her music career while sheltering her kids from their decadent new surroundings:

"666 Park Avenue" follows a young couple who manages one of the most historic apartment buildings -- a property that also happens to be plagued by supernatural occurrences:

"Red Widow" centers on the widow of an assassinated criminal who's forced to adopt her husband's role in a crime syndicate to protect her family:

"Zero Hour" stars Anthony Edwards is a story about an editor of a magazine for skeptics who finds himself drawn into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history: